NAfME News
Support full Title IV-A Funding!
We hope your state MEA will consider joining NAfME in signing on to aletter to congressional leaders to support full funding for Title IV-A. The flexible block grant enables states and local school districts to support a variety of services, including a well-rounded education which includes music. The letter urges Congress to fully fund the SSAE flexible grant program at $1.6 billion in FY 2021. You can sign on to the letter here. The deadline to sign on is July 1st.
NAfME/NFHS Fall 2020 Music Education Guidance
NAfME and NFHS are pleased to share a new resource, Fall 2020 Guidance for Music Educators. This document provides practical guidance for PreK-12 schools as administrators and music educators seek to provide meaningful music instruction for students of all ages and grade levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can view and download a copy at: https://nafme.org/my-classroom/fall-2020-guidance-music-education-from-nfhs-nafme/
State & National News
Indiana’s K-12 schools won’t face state funding cuts, Holcomb says
6/17/2020- ‘Indiana school districts will not face state funding cuts next school year, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday — an assurance that had seemed unlikely amid steep state revenue shortfalls.’
In California budget deal, no cuts for K-12 but billions in late payments to schools
6/22/2020- ‘Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced Monday that they have reached an agreement on the 2020-21 budget that will preserve spending for K-12 schools and community colleges at current levels but potentially could result in funding cuts of nearly $1 billion combined for the University of California and California State University.’
6/18/2020- ‘Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said on Thursday that he would seek federal permission to suspend mandated standardized testing for 2020-21, the second year in a row, because of disruptions to learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.’
Illinois releases guidelines to reopen schools in the fall
6/23/2020- ‘Illinois schools will need to check temperatures and screen for symptoms of illness, practice social distancing, and step up cleaning once school buildings reopen in the fall.’
Task force: Concerns over social distancing, hybrid learning
6/23/2020- ‘Many parents, teachers and education officials are anxious for students to get back to school this fall, but there’s a lot of concern about achieving social distancing and workable hybrid learning plans, a New Hampshire education task force acknowledged Tuesday.’
How the coronavirus could change the way Kansas students are taught for decades
6/22/2020- ‘When Kansas K-12 students head back to school in the fall, they may face an altered academic landscape as educators prepare districts for the possibility that the coronavirus will make in-person class time impossible for weeks on end.’
Research and Analysis
The Need for Upskilling and Reskilling in a Time of Crisis
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, we have seen many changes to daily life and work. The past few months brought school and business closures along with a record number of unemployment claims. With the unemployment rate continuing upward, states may need to re-assess the needs of individuals without employment and determine how to help them reenter the workforce into good jobs as part of economic recovery.
Policy Roundup is compiled by NAfME’s Matt Barusch.